Norway, July 22nd 2011: Anders Behring Breivik shoots 69 youngsters during a political camp on the Island of Utøya. A few hours earlier, a bombing took place in the center of Oslo, making 8 deadly victims. Only later, both of these crimes will be confessed by the same person...  

It is almost impossible to understand that such horrible deeds can happen in the pacific society that characterises Norway, the country where every year the Nobel Prize for peace is awarded. I put in this music emotions of incomprehension, anger, but also hope. 

The piece starts and ends with a total of 8 three-volley salutes for the approximately 80 human lifes that were lost that day. The music tells the story of a person who lost all love for his fellow people. I expressed this by starting from a simple theme, that develops into an almost terrifying musical declamation. I would like to end the piece with the message of hope which Norway projets on the rest of the world after the attacks. In commemoration of the love...

Performed by Kugoni Trio

Album onbekend (13/11/2017 20:50:11)

Til Minne om Kjaerlighet (excerpt)

This piece is attempting to use the principles of stereoscopy in music.  Stereoscopy is a technique for creating or enhancing the illusion of depth in an image by means of stereopsis for binocular vision.  Today this technique is used to create 3D cinema, but in this piece I refer to a much older commercial stereoscopic product: the View-Master. The structure of my composition is based on the so-called View-Master reel, which contains 7 stereo-photographs (14 images).  The 14 parts of this composition are not linked in pairs (as with the View-Master reel).  They are connected by a more layered exchange of musical motives and metric modulations.  The composition of each of the 14 parts is also based on the principles of stereoscopy.  The constant interaction of the three instruments is trying to create a musical 3D illusion. Performed by Triotique

Album onbekend (6/08/2020 20:36:20)

View-Master (excerpt)

‘A Requiem for Narcissus’ is based on the antique myth of Narcissus and Echo.  Cursed by Hera, Echo is only able to repeat the last words of the person talking to her.  Narcissus is annoyed by her ghastly appearance and rejects her, after which he himself is cursed by the Gods.  He notices his own beauty by looking in a pool of water and falls hopelessly in love with himself.  Unable to reach his beloved, he weeps bitterly and transforms slowly into a beautiful flower. Musical echo’s and mirrors play an important role in this composition, both in the interaction between the soloists and the band, and in the microstructural elements of the motives and harmonies.  The solo-horns are positioned at different places in the hall, creating a spatial element. All musical material is derived from the chorale ‘O Welt, Ich muss dich lassen’ by J.S. Bach.  This chorale symbolizes the tears of Narcissus during his tragic transformation.  The composition is devided into four mouvements, each entitled with a fragment from the Latin Requiem Mass.  Additionaly, each movement is based on one particular motive or melody.

A Requiem For Narcissus (Excerpt 2)

A Requiem for Narcissus (Excerpt 1)

A cover of the song 'Once You' by Jacob Collier. I made an arrangement for double bass and piano in the style of Rachmaninov or Chopin chamber music. Performed by Erik & David Desimpelaere

Once You (cover)

This piece was commissioned by David Heyes. Sirba is inspired by East-European folk music and is a kind of mirror of Tzigane by Ravel, but than in a version for double bass and piano. Thus the piece opens with a long solo cadenza for the double bass. Performed by David & Erik Desimpelaere

Sirba

Jigolo Gil

Jigolo Joe

Erik Desimpelaere is a Belgian composer, pianist and conductor.

Til Minne om Kjaerlighet (excerpt)

Erik Desimpelaere

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